Strongly suggest Huberdeau and Barkov

There are a few hockey players in Florida who are going UN-noticed and, their hockey cards are great bargains. Those players include the likes of Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov and I strongly suggest Huberdeau and Barkov hockey cards while they are still affordable.

This idea came to me from three individuals in my hockey Twitter group where we have fun discussing hockey cards and the NHL. Those three individuals are Sami Aaltonen (@hitsarikatsomo), Gur (@kurri17) and Mike Lang (@FlyingVCards). If you would like to join my group and shoot the shit in a pleasant environment, hit me up on Twitter HarrisonNHL anytime.

The Florida Panthers had the 3rd pick overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and selected from the Saint John Seadogs of the QMJHL, LW Jonathan Huberdeau. Jonathan was born in St. Jerome, Quebec. Huberdeau put up 105 points in the 2010-11 season for the Seadogs including 43 goals in just 67 games. Jonathan has quietly put up impressive numbers in his 536 NHL games to date. 437 points, including 148 goals and 289 assists.

Jonathan Huberdeau has been a main stay in the top six in Florida since the 2014-15 season. In 2018-19 he busted out and became a point per game player for the Panthers recording a quiet 92 points. He is currently playing on the top line with Alexsander Barkov and Evgeni Dadonov. Plays on the number one power play and is trusted in all situations.

Aleksander Barkov came over from Finland where is was playing in the SM-Liga for Tappara and was drafted by the Panthers in the first round, second overall behind number one pick Nathan Mackinnon. In 2012-13 he amassed 48 points in just 53 games for Tappara. He joined the Panthers in the 2013-14 season and put up 24 points in 54 games. Doesn’t exactly scream superstar but he was adjusting to the North American ice surface.

2017-18 was also a breakout year for Aleksander Barkov. Following along like Huberdeau he put up 78 points in 79 games. Aleksander followed that season up with better than a point per game average in the 2018-19 season which saw him collect a very quiet 96 points in 82 games including 35 goals. Barkov also plays in all situations including being a main stay on the short handed unit and the number one center for the Panthers.

Aleksander Barkov was named Captain of the Florida Panthers in September of 2018 and hasn’t looked back since. He was a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy after the 2017-18 season with just 14 penalty minutes where he lost out to William Karlsson who had a stellar year for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Barkov is one the best defensive players in the game, can compare him to Anze Kopitar of the LA Kings. Why he hasn’t been named as a finalist for the Selke trophy has me baffled. He has a high hockey IQ and is a very creative player. To date he has put up 409 points in just 479 games and is signed until 2021-22 at a modest cap hit of just $5.9M making it one of the most desirable contracts in the NHL. Jonathan Huberdeau has a cap hit of just $5.9M also, giving the Panthers two great contracts to build around.

The future looks bright for the Panthers with Barkov and Huberdeau leading the way and I strongly suggest Huberdeau and Barkov hockey cards. They are a great 1-2 punch rivaling other teams top two players. Both have excellent contracts and the Panthers need to do some retooling and bring in some help for these players. They always seem to be just shy of a playoff spot and that needs to change.

How affordable are their hockey cards? I went scouring the Internet to find out.

You can easily pick up a Aleksander Barkov 2013-14 Young Gun rookie card for between $40 and $50. A helluva bargain considering other players who are not proven yet and have a higher price tag. A Jonathan Huberdeau Upper Deck Young Gun rookie card will set you back a whopping $20 or less. Yup, $20 or less for a point per game player while Cale Makar will cost you $75.

I know which card I would purchase and you should do the same while both of these special players are reasonable. If Florida ever gets their shit together these rookie cards won’t be available at that price for much longer and I strongly buying Huberdeau and Barkov hockey cards.

If you prefer the higher end hockey cards you can pick up a 2014-15 Aleksander Barkov The Cup RPA for $150. I even seen a red tag patch auto # 2/3 for just $120. A Jonathan Huberdeau 2013-14 The Cup RPA will set you back less than $100. Say what? These are two excellent players and highly under valued at this point in time. If you collect hockey cards I strongly suggest Huberdeau and Barkov hockey cards, these are two must haves for your collection. I can’t believe how inexpensive they are.

Once again thank you goes out to Mike, Gur and Sami for bumping me hip to these under valued players. Do yourself a favour and pick these guys up as soon as your budget will allow you to do so. I cant say it enough, I strongly suggest Huberdeau and Barkov hockey  cards. Until next time, keep those elbows high and be ready to drop the mitts. 🙂

You may also be interested in reading the following two articles on the hockey card collecting hobby.
Are hockey cards an investment or a hobby
Hockey card collecting in 2019-20 is absurd